Ultra-compact integrated photonic switch using miniature phase change material inserted in a slot waveguide

Abstract

Utilization of phase change material in integrated photonic switches has gained significant attention due to its benefits of a broader bandwidth, higher switching contrast, smaller footprint, lower energy consumption, and better structural stability. In this paper, we propose an ultra-compact integrated photonic switch that utilizes a Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 (GSST) nanodisk with a diameter of 440 nm inserted into a slot waveguide on a standard silicon on insulator, with a footprint of only 2.8×0.66µm2. A meta-structure mode conversion element is also proposed to be used in series with the slot GSST switch. Simulations of the photonic switch show that the insertion loss of the device during the “ON” state is below 0.564 dB, and the extinction ratio is above 12.846 dB over a large wavelength of 1210 to 1410 nm (covering the entire O band), with a peak value of 16.694 dB. The proposed photonic switch will find potential in various applications in optical communication systems and optical networks.